IEEE 802.11 describes a communication architecture, which may enable computing devices to communicate via wireless local area networks (WLANs). One of the building blocks for the WLAN is the basic service set (BSS). A BSS may comprise a plurality of computing devices, or stations (STA), which may communicate wirelessly via one or more radio frequency (RF) channels within an RF coverage area. The span of an RF coverage area may be determined based on the distance over which a source STA may transmit data via an RF channel, which may be received by a destination STA.
An independent BSS (IBSS) refers to a BSS, which comprises a set of STAs, which may communicate with each other within the RF coverage area for the BSS. The IBSS is identified by a BSS identifier (BSSID) and a service set identifier (SSID). In an IBSS each STA may engage in direct communication with any of the other STAs within the IBSS. An IBSS may be referred to as an ad hoc network.
An infrastructure BSS refers to a BSS, which may be associated with an extended service set (ESS). The ESS is identified by a service set identifier (SSID). An infrastructure BSS may also be referred to as a BSS. Each of the BSSs within an ESS is identified by a BSS identifier (BSSID). Thus, STAs within a BSS generally determine their association within the BSS based on a BSSID and an SSID.
Each BSS comprises a plurality of STAs and an access point (AP). The AP forms an association with each of the STAs within the BSS. The AP identifies each association by an association identifier (AID). The AP may provide communication services to STAs within a BSS based on the presence of an established association.
Within a WLAN, a STA, referred to as an originating STA, may transmit protocol data units, for example packets or frames, which may each be received by a plurality of STAs, referred to as recipient STAs. This mode of communication may be referred to as multicasting. Typically, the originating STA and recipient STAs form a multicast group. The multicast group may be identified by a multicast address. Any STA within a multicast group may receive PDUs for which the destination address (DA) field within the PDU comprises the multicast address for the multicast group. This multicast address may also be referred to as the multicast group address. For example, an originating STA may multicast PDUs to recipient STAs within the multicast group by transmitting a PDU for which the DA field in the PDU comprises the multicast group address.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.